The present invention relates generally to sheet product dispensers, and more particularly to sheet product dispensers adapted for dispensing sheet product from a roll.
Sheet product dispensers can provide a dispensing mechanism including a drive roll coupled to a reciprocating operating lever via one or more gear racks internal to the dispenser that engage a drive gear. Accordingly, sheet product is dispensed via the drive gear in response to user-provided energy via the operating lever.
While existing products are suitable for their intended purpose, application of excessive user force, or rate of force application, to the drive roll via the operating lever may result in a tear of the sheet product, thereby requiring dispenser service. Additionally, excessive force, or rate of force application, can result in reduced feed drive component reliability and additional dispenser service. Current approaches to reduce such service requirements include use of sheets having an appropriate strength to resist tears. However, sheet product having appropriate strength to resist tears may not provide desired properties such as absorbency, or facilitate perforation. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a sheet product dispenser arrangement that overcomes these drawbacks.